Page 62 - World Airnews Magazine June 2020 Edition

NEWS DIGITAL

AIRBUS AIRCRAFT PERFORM

LIFE-SAVING MEDEVAC MISSIONS

By André Orban

RAF Brize Norton airbase in Oxfordshire, UK - working hand-in-
hand with the RAF to ensure operational availability 365 days a
With the number of coronavirus patients mounting around year.
the world, Airbus-built military transport aircraft are increasingly “Flying these missions is of national importance in helping the
used for civil medical evacuation (medevac) duties in time-critical NHS safeguard the health of every person in the United Kingdom
airlift flights – with the company providing valuable support for – even in its most remote corners,” said a maintenance operations
their air force operators. co-ordinator. “We anticipate more critical missions in the coming
weeks as this crisis progresses, and it is crucial that we deliver
A400M CRITICAL CARE MISSIONS 100% mission success.”
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has deployed an A400M on three
medical evacuation CCAST (Critical Care Air Support Team) mis-
sions so far, transporting patients from the Scottish Islands - where RELIEVING HOSPITAL CONGESTION
there is an outbreak of COVID-19 and limited health facilities to The French Air Force also has deployed A400Ms from its fleet
cope with it - to mainland hospitals for emergency treatment. for COVID-19-related medical evacuations, with the country’s
Designed for global strategic and tactical air transport as well as first-delivered aircraft now transporting patients from congested
humanitarian missions, Airbus’ four-engine, turboprop-powered hospitals within France to areas with greater critical healthcare
A400M has the range, speed, operating altitude, and cabin capacity - complementing the military service’s A330 MRTT, also
environment to optimally serve the medical evacuation role. being used in this role.
For CCAST applications, the aircraft utilises up to three special- The A400M was converted for medical evacuations using a
ly-designed frames in the cargo hold to carry critically ill patients configuration rapidly developed by the French military aeronau-
- each providing full intensive care capabilities in the air. tical research and test centre - applying certain elements of the
This unique configuration, coupled with the aircraft’s ability to fly CM30 medical evacuation module used in the A330 MRTT - and
at near jet speeds and land on very short or unprepared runways, completed in record time.
makes it the optimal solution for medical evacuations from the “The high speed of execution was possible thanks to a study we
UK’s outlying islands. had carried out in 2018, along with the excellent work and strong
commitment from Airbus teams,” said a French air force officer in
The UK’s A400M fleet is backed by Airbus through a long-term charge.
global support service contract, with a company team based at “The trust and proximity we’ve built with Airbus over the years

World Airnews | June Extra 2020
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